Cement Sheet Subfloor

On wood frame floors the subflooring provides a continuous structural surface over the floor joists.

Cement sheet subfloor. Whenever you re laying tile on a wood subfloor you need to first install cement backerboard to prevent leaks and water damage. Cement backerboard is a thin layer of concrete with fiberglass mesh on both sides. Building paper between layers of flooring. It s available in sheets of many sizes with 3 foot by 5 foot sheets being the most common.

Use this home depot guide how to install a tile floor for more information. To begin you ll need two layers of 3 8 inch minimum cd exposure 1 plywood subfloor panels cdx 4 foot by 8 foot sheets. These are specially coated corrosion resistant screws that have notches under their heads that help the screws burrow into the board so the heads sit flush with the panel. Don t use regular drywall or wood screws which corrode in cement board.

Installing a vinyl tile or vinyl plank floor is easier than installing sheet vinyl and any damage to the floor can be repaired easily simply by replacing a tile or two. Buying a large roll of vinyl gets you a new floor for a very affordable price. To prepare a concrete subfloor for installing tile you ll need to do a different kind of preparation. Building paper is a catchall term for single ply sheathing paper manufactured in various thicknesses.

The dry product is mixed with water to a liquid consistency and poured on. Plywood panels should be set down with 1 8 inch gaps between sheets. For the last 40 years cdx tongue and grooved plywood has been the most commonly used exterior structural subfloor material used in homes. Pourable self leveling products help to flatten and level a wood subfloor or a concrete slab before the tile is installed.

Do not fasten and leave 3 4 of an inch of space between the wall and plywood. First position the plywood layer with its edges parallel to the wall. To prepare a wood subfloor for installing tile install a cement based backerboard following the manufacturer s instructions. Fasten the cement board sheet to the subfloor with 1 1 4 inch cement board screws.

In basements and in homes with slab on grade foundations the subfloor may simply be a concrete slab. The subfloor is the foundation beneath finish flooring materials.